Radiopaque Elastomeric Horseshoe

ABSTRACT

A horseshoe for attaching to a horse&#39;s hoof using an adhesive, such as glue. In one example, the horseshoe includes an elastomeric body containing a wear material, which improves wear and traction performance of elastomeric shoes. In another example, the elastomeric material may include radiopaque materials to improve visibility of the shoe when x-rays are taken of a horse&#39;s hoof or leg. In some aspects, the radiopaque material may be blended with the wear material. Or if the radiopaque material exhibits abrasive/gritty qualities, the radiopaque material may also serve as the wear material.

BACKGROUND

Elastomeric horseshoes, such as plastic, urethane, and rubber-polymershoes are commonly constructed from polyurethane, plastic, or othersynthetic materials. The shoes are typically about 35% lighter thanforged aluminum horseshoes, and are about 70% lighter than steel shoes.Elastomeric horseshoes also absorb more concussive shock than steel oraluminum shoes and provide better wear than forged aluminum products.Radiopaque

Typically, elastomeric horseshoes are glued (i.e., adhesively bonded)directly or indirectly to a horse's hoof. Adhesive bonding is frequentlyused when a horse is having hoof problems that preclude the use oftraditional methods, such as nail-on shoes.

SUMMARY

Described herein is a horseshoe comprised of an elastomeric material. Inone aspect the horseshoe includes wear material, which increases wearand traction performance of the horseshoe.

In another aspect, the elastomeric material may include radiopaquematerials to improve visibility of the shoe when x-rays are taken of ahorse's hoof or leg.

In another aspect, the radiopaque material may be blended with the wearmaterial.

In another aspect, the radiopaque material may also have grit, and wearqualities. Put differently, the wear material may also be radiopaque.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below. This summary is notnecessarily intended to identify key features or essential features ofthe claimed subject matter, nor is it necessarily intended to be used asan aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is explained with reference to the accompanyingfigures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference numberidentifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. Itshould be noted that the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale andare for illustration purposes only.

FIG. 1A shows a top view of an example glue-on horseshoe.

FIG. 1B shows a bottom view (i.e. the ground-facing surface) of anexample glue-on horseshoe.

FIG. 2 is an isometric-cross-sectional view of a toe portion of anexample horseshoe, such as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

FIG. 3 shows a top view of an example horseshoe with asegmented-metallic brace encapsulated within an elastomeric body of theshoe.

FIG. 4 shows a top of view of an example horseshoe with no brace.

FIG. 5 is a left-side view of example horseshoes shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and4.

FIG. 6 shows a top view of an example horseshoe, which includes aresilient plate extending between slots of the branches of a heelportion of the shoe.

FIG. 7 shows a back view of a shoe from with an example plate in aneutral position.

FIG. 8 shows a back view the same horseshoe shown in FIG. 7, but withthe example plate flexing downward under full load of the frog portionof a horse's hoof.

FIG. 9 shows a side-cross-sectional view of an example plate.

FIG. 10 shows a side view of an example plate constructed of a suitablematerial(s), which are flexible and resilient.

FIG. 11 shows a top view of an example horseshoe with a plate securedtherein, before excess material of the plate is trimmed off such as whenbeing installed in a horseshoe by a farrier.

FIG. 12 shows a top view of an example horseshoe with a plate that iscast into the shoe at the time of manufacture.

FIG. 13 shows an example horseshoe indirectly attached to horse's hoofusing a fabric cuff.

FIGS. 14 and 15 show cross-sectional views of a portion of anelastomeric shoe with wear and radiopaque materials therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Introduction

A direct-glue method simply puts glue on the horseshoe and attaches itto the horses hoof. This means the attachment is restricted to theannular surface on the bottom of the hoof wall—a modest surface area atbest restricted to the portion of the hoof wall between the inner andthe outer circumference.

There are two general issues with direct-glue methods: (1) attachmentstrength is relatively low due to the small surface area; and (2) theheel of the hoof must be securely attached to the shoe by addingadditional glue that may, when used with metal and some polymeric shoes,restrict the natural lateral movement of the hoof as it loads andunloads. Some horses do not tolerate having their heels rigidly glued,and may experience heel bruises as a result. In addition, even if theheel is glued to the shoe, there may be a failure (shoe falls off) dueto the relatively low attachment strength compounded by the heel'snatural tendency to want to move laterally.

Another method of gluing a horseshoe to a horse's hoof involvesindirectly attaching a shoe. The indirect bonding method is accomplishedby the use of a fabric cuff that is saturated with glue and placed onthe outside vertical section of the hoof wall. Generally, no glue isused on the bottom of the hoof. This is a much stronger attachment forseveral reasons. First, the attachment mode has the adhesive (glue)operating in stronger shear direction instead of tensile with thedirect-glue system. Add to that the large increase in surface area forthe vertical cuff.

As an example of just attachment area, a common horseshoe size of“medium or size 1” has an approximate perimeter (heel thru toe to heel)of 15 inches. If the shoe is directly glued to the bottom of the hoof,about half the shoe width (say 0.5 inch) would be involved in theattachment strength—15 inch perimeter×0.5 inch width=7.5 square inchsurface area acting in tensile. The indirect method utilizing a modestcuff up the vertical sides of the hoof around the perimeter of the sameshoe delivers far more attachment area and the glue is working inshear—15 inch perimeter×1.5 inch cuff height=22.5 square inches ofsurface area acting in shear.

Assuming that a horse's hoof requires something other than nails for asecure attachment, there are applications that a direct glue—direct tothe bottom of the hoof—method will work and many where it is lessdesirable than an indirect system.

For instance, for straight-line work such as a race track, the system ofdirectly gluing on shoes is sometimes sufficient. However, introduce anyjumping, cutting, and turning that tends to be typical of many of theother equestrian pursuits off the track, and the direct-glue system ofattachment will frequently deliver inadequate performance.

This is not true of the indirect “glue-on” system that employs the cuffworking in shear on the vertical aspect of the hoof. The cuffed systemworks in all equine pursuits and is advantaged in that it does not haveglue on the bottom of the hoof and the heel is permitted to movenaturally and laterally on the shoe heel.

Regardless of whether a shoe is directly or indirectly glued on to thehorseshoe, there is a desire to use elastomeric horseshoes commonlyreferred to in the industry as “polymer shoes”, which can generallymatch the shape of any steel shoe. Because polymer shoes are commonlyconstructed from polyurethane, plastic, or other urethane materials, theshoes are lighter (about 35% lighter than forged aluminum horseshoes),may be less expensive, and absorb more concussive shock than steel oraluminum shoes.

However, glue-on horseshoes that are made of flexible materials, such assynthetic polymers, often do not have enough rigidity to prevent thebranches of the heel portion of the shoe from moving apart (i.e.,laterally) when under load. That is, an elastomeric horseshoe generallydoes not have enough rigidity to prevent the branches of the heelportion of the shoe to move apart (i.e., laterally) when under load.This includes polymeric open-heel horseshoes with reinforced members.

As a result, a horse's heel can fall inside the heel of the horseshoe asit is flexed and moved under load. And, once the horse's heel descendsinside the heel of a polymer shoe, the usefulness of the shoe inrelation to the hoof is catastrophically ended.

To solve these and other problems associated with elastomeric glue-onhorseshoes, described herein is an example elastomeric horseshoe thatmay include a resilient plate. The resilient plate may be generallyflexible, and may be composed of a fiber reinforced material, or otherflexible materials. The resilient plate generally extends between a heelportion of branches of the horseshoe. The plate, therefore, stabilizesthe heel portion of the horseshoe by minimizing or eliminating movementthe branches away from each other in a lateral direction when the heelportion of the shoe is under load.

So, in embodiments described herein, the resilient plate, when fastenedor integrated between the branches of a shoe, substantially eliminatesoutward lateral movement of the branches, when the shoe is under load bya horse.

Additionally, in one embodiment, the resilient plate is generallyplanar, flexible, and flat so as to generally avoid providing support toa horse's frog when the shoe is attached to the horse's hoof.

Additional examples, and details of such horseshoes is described ingreater detail below.

Reference herein to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “animplementation” or “one implementation” “an example” or similarformulations herein, means that a particular feature, structure,operation, or characteristic described in connection with the embodimentor example, is included in at least one embodiment of the detaileddescription. Thus, the appearances of such phrases or formulationsherein are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment orexample. Furthermore, various particular features, structures,operations, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner inone or more embodiments or examples.

As used herein the term “horse” refers to any hoofed animal in theequine family or others that may wear shoes that attach to their hoofs,such as a horse, a pony, a donkey, a mule, or other animals havingkeratinous hoof materials.

Example Elastomeric Horseshoe with Slots

Described herein is a horseshoe for attaching to a horse's hoof using anadhesive, such as glue.

FIG. 1A shows a top view of an example glue-on horseshoe 100. Horseshoe100 may include an elastomeric body 102 containing a toe portion 104, afirst branch 106A, a second branch 106B, and a heel portion 108. Toeportion 104, and first and second branches 106A, 106B may also includegenerally inner and outer edges 114, 116, respectively, as well asgenerally hoof-facing surface 110 and ground-facing surfaces 150 (see,i.e., FIG. 1B). Each surface may include several levels of surfaces.

For instance, hoof-facing surface 110 may include elevated surfaces suchas a rim 117. Rim 117 typically has an inner edge 118A and outer edge118B for contacting the outer periphery of a horse's hoof wall.Hoof-facing surfacing 110 may also include a concave-relief section 112.Rim 117, hoof-facing and ground-facing surfaces 110, 150 andconcave-relief sections 112 are also depicted in FIG. 2, which is anisometric view of toe portion 104 of shoe 100 shown in FIG. 1A.

Referring to FIG. 2, rim 117 typically has an inner edge 118A and outeredge 118B for contacting the outer periphery of a horse's hoof.Concave-relief section 112 prevent portions of hoof-facing surface 110from contacting the thin and sensitive sole of the hoof.

FIG. 1B shows a ground-surface view of the example horseshoe in FIG. 1A.As depicted in FIG. 1B, shoe 100 may include a “fullered” nail crease170 to provide improved traction. In this embodiment, nail crease 170,combined with a narrower ground contact shape of the inner and outerrim, reduces the surface area of ground-facing surface 150, therebyincreasing the shoe's unit loading, or in other words, the ability ofthe shoe to “dig” into the ground. Further, “nail crease” 170 tends tofill with small stones, which may also improve performance traction ofthe shoe.

In one embodiment, nail crease 170 is approximately ¼ inch in width, andmay extend partially or fully along ground-facing surface 150 of shoe100. As appreciated by those skilled in the art having the benefit ofthis disclosure, however, the size and location of a nail crease 170 mayvary. Additionally, more than one nail crease or various configurationsmay be implemented in the bottom of ground-facing surface 150 of shoe100.

Referring back to FIG. 1A, body 102 is generally U-shaped (open heels).However, body may include other suitable shapes, sizes, andconfigurations. Body 102 is generally comprised of an elastomericmaterial that is flexible yet rigid enough to resist full deformationunder load while maintaining shape integrity, such as a stiff rubber, apolymer, a polyurethane, urethane, a composite material, or otherdurable, generally non-metallic, but flexible materials.

As appreciated by those skilled in the art having the benefit of thisdisclosure, different materials having different hardness and stiffnesscharacteristics may be used to form different layers or portions ofelastomeric body 102.

Example Braces

Example horseshoe 100 may use or incorporate one or more braces toretain a shaped position of the braches 106A, 106B after one or morebraces 120 are possibly shaped by a farrier. That is, the brace(s) maybe composed of any suitable material, and configuration able to bend andretain a shape of shoe 100, and therefore, resist the elastomericpropensity of body 102 to return to its original molded or cast shapeafter braches 106A, 106B are flexed/shaped.

As depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, example horseshoe 100 includes an examplebrace 120 comprised of a unitary-bendable rod encapsulated within body102. Brace 120 is generally cylindrically shaped, and has a generaloverall diameter of about ⅛th of an inch, and an overall lengthextending almost the entire U-shaped horseshoe 100. As appreciated bythose skilled in the art with the benefit of having this disclosure, therod may also be non-cylindrical in shape, and be of other suitable sizesand lengths depending on the type and size of horseshoe used.

Additionally, brace 120 may include other suitable shapes and sizes. Forexample, FIG. 3 shows a top view of a horseshoe 300 with asegmented-metallic brace 320 in lieu of a rod (such as brace 120 ofFIGS. 1 and 2) encapsulated within elastomeric body 102. Example brace320 depicted in FIG. 3 may include one or more slots 350. Separatingeach slot 350 is a non-slotted section 352 which is intact. Thiscombination of slots 350 and non-slotted sections 352 forms the overallsegmentation of brace 320, and provides a farrier with the ability toeasily bend body 102. And, once bent into a shape selected by thefarrier, the overall segmentation of brace 320 also permits brace 320 toretain most shapes selected, while resisting the propensity ofelastomeric body 102 to return to its original shape after beingadjusted by a farrier. Brace 320 is generally planar and has thicknessof about 1/16 of inch. Brace 320 has a width measured from an inner edge114 to an outer edge 116 of shoe 300, which may vary depending on thesize of the shoe. As appreciated by those skilled in the art afterhaving the benefit of this disclosure, brace 320 may be thicker, orthinner, and have widths that are wider or narrower.

Additionally, as appreciated by those skilled in the art having thebenefit of this disclosure, a brace may include multiple components, andmay be of other suitable sizes and shape. Example braces 120 and 320shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, respectively, may be formed of a metallicmaterial such as aluminum, titanium, steel, a combination of metallicmaterials, or some other suitable material(s) that may not be metallic.

Although shoes 100 and 300 show braces 120, 320 encapsulated within body102, it is also possible for a brace to be positioned on an externalsurface of body 102, or partially within and out of body 102.

Example Horseshoe with No Brace

Further, body 102 may include no brace. For instance, FIG. 4 shows a topof view of an example horseshoe 400 with no brace. Shoe 400 isespecially suitable if the size and shape of a horse's hoof is knownbeforehand, and little to no adjustment in the shape of shoe 400 isrequired before fastening shoe 400 to a hoof.

Example Slots

Referring to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, example horseshoes 100, 300, and 400 mayalso include slots 122A, 122B laterally extending through heel portion108 of branches 106A, 106B, respectively. In the example shoes 100, 300,400, slots 122A and 122B extend between inner edge 114 and outer edge116 of heel portion 108 of respective branches 106A, 106B. That is,horseshoe 100 may include a first slot 122A (shown in cross section)that extends laterally through heel portion 108 of first branch 106A,and a second slot 122B (shown in cross section) that extends laterallythrough heel portion 108 of second branch 106B, and substantially alignswith first slot 122A.

As appreciated by those skilled in the art with the benefit of thisdisclosure, however, openings of slots 122A, 122B may not necessarilyextend all the way through branches 106A, 106B. Rather, one or moreopenings of slots 122A, 122B may extend only partially through branches106A, 106B, such as ⅓, ½, or ¾ (or other partial distances) of the waythrough a branch 106, when measured from inner edge 114. As depicted,the openings of each slot 122A or 122B extend perpendicularly to atleast a portion of branches 106A, 106B.

FIG. 5 is a left-side view of example horseshoes 100, 300 and 400, shownin FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, respectively. As depicted in FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5slots 122A, 122B, again, generally align with each other, and arepositioned generally parallel to, and between hoof-facing surface 110and ground-facing surface 150. As depicted in FIG. 5, slots 122A, 122B(not visible in FIG. 5) are positioned substantially midway between ahoof-facing surface 110 and ground-facing surface 150. In otherexamples, however, slots 122 may be positioned closer to eitherhoof-facing surface or ground-facing surface 112.

Example slot 122A of FIG. 5 is generally about ¾ of an inch in lengthwhen measured from inner walls 560 and 562 of slot 122A, and has aninternal height of about ⅛ of an inch when measured between inner wall564 and inner wall 566. Also, inner walls 564, 566 of slot 122A is about¼ of inch away from ground-facing surface 150 the highest surface ofhoof-face surface 110 (located approximately midway between the groundsurface, and the hoof surface of the shoe).

As appreciated by those skilled in the art having the benefit of thisdisclosure, other suitable dimensions and locations of slots 122 arepossible. Additionally, it is possible for each slot 122 to beasymmetrical, and not necessarily align in height, length and positionwith each other.

As also depicted in the side of FIG. 5, a brace (such as example braces120 or 320) may pass underneath one or more portions of slots 122.Alternatively, each brace may not extend to slots 122, or be positionedover one or more portions of slots 122.

Example Fastening Holes Aligned with Slots

Also, referring to FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5, example shoes 100, 300 may alsoinclude holes 180A, 180B each aligned with a respective slot 122A, 122B.In one example, each hole 180 is a tap hole, configured to receive afastening device, such as a screw.

Each hole 180 may include a wider-recessed section 182A, 182B to receivea the head of a fastening device, so that when the fastening device isfully inserted into hole 180, the head of the fastening device is flushwith or contained fully within hoof-facing surface 110 (a/k/a“countersunk”). Alternatively, the direction of wider-recessed sections182A, 182B of holes 180A, 180B, may be reversed (not shown), so thatwider-recessed sections 182 are flush with or contained fully withinground-facing surface 150.

Although, each branch 106A, 106B shows a single hole 180, as appreciatedby those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure,additional holes may be included in branches 106A, 106B to receive oneor more suitable fastening devices.

Thus, example holes 180A, 180B may pass at least partially through atleast one of hoof-facing surface 110, ground-facing surface 150, orboth. Additionally, holes 180A, 180B, are aligned with slots 122A, 122B,respectively. Holes 180 may also include varying widths (such aswider-recessed sections 182) and depths.

Example Resilient Plates

FIG. 6 shows a top view of an example horseshoe 600, which includes aresilient plate 660 extending between first and second slots 122A, 122B.In this example, plate 660 is fastened to slots 122A, 122B via afastening device inserted through holes 180A, 180B, and which alsopasses through plate 660 in slots 122A, 122B. That is, screws 690A, 690Bpass through plate 660 via holes 180A, 180B, and secure plate 660 tobranches 106A, 106B. Screws 690 may be a countersunk screw withinterrupted threads (not shown) to ensure a strong grip to polymermaterials, such as body 102 of branches 106A, 106B.

As would be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, otherfastening device may be used in place of, or with screws 690, such asclips, snaps, bolt and nut systems, rivets, and so forth. It is alsopossible for a suitable fastening device, such as a clip, not to passthrough plate 660.

As depicted in FIG. 6, example plate 660 is substantially perpendicularto at least a portion of the first and second branches 106A, 106B.Further, example plate 660 is generally commensurate in size and shapethan the inner portion of each slot 122A, 122B, but with a slightlysmaller tolerance than the inner portion of each slot. In otherexamples, plate 660 may be other sizes or shapes providing a tighter orlooser fit with slots 122. The fit tolerances are critical to permittingthe single fastener to generate adequate holding strength to secure theconnecting plate for the entire shoeing interval.

In this example plate 660 does not have tap holes. So screws 690 may beused to drill through plate 660 when being installed in slots 122. Inother examples, plate 660 may include tap holes configured to align withholes 180 of slots 122.

When under load of a horse's heel, unstabilized branches 106A and 106Bmay flex in a lateral direction away from each other without plate 660,and a horse's hoof can drop inside heel portion 108 of a polymerhorseshoe. So, when an example plate 660 is secured between braches 106Aand 106B, plate 660 substantially prevents branches 106A and 106B frommoving away from each other laterally, such as in a horizontal plane.

Thus, when installed in shoe 600, plate 660 is configured to hold heelportion 108 of branches 106A and 106B, in a stable, relative fixedposition with respect to each other when under load. Specifically, plate660 secures against lateral movement of branches 106A and 106B away fromeach other, so that the distance between the two branches does notexpand laterally in the same plane. Plate 660, however, does notnecessarily prevent branches 106A and 106B from moving in verticalplane, such as flexing up and down.

Example plate 660 is flexible and resilient. For instance, FIG. 7 showsa back-view of shoe 600. As depicted, plate 660 is in a neutral positionwhen a horse is standing in equilibrium, and the frog of a horse's hoofdoes not typically touch the ground. In this position, plate 660 may nottouch or may just abut the frog. So, plate 660 is not supporting thehorses weight and prevents outward-lateral movement of heel potion 108of branches 106, to prevent the horse's hoof from dropping off the shoeand onto the ground. Heel portion 108 of branches 106 are permitted tomove vertically (up & down) while the horse's heel can move laterally bysliding on the hoof-facing surface (specifically heel portion 108) of ashoe.

On the other hand. FIG. 8 shows a back view of shoe 600. Here plate 660is flexed and touching the ground, such as when the frog of a hoofdescends under load striking the ground. As depicted in FIGS. 7 and 8,example plate 660 is not configured to support the frog. Rather, plate660 is resilient and flexible allowing the frog to behave naturally byoffering no vertical support to the frog.

FIG. 9 shows a side-cross-sectional view of an example plate, such asplate 660. As depicted in FIG. 9, plate 660 is planar, and includes oneor more layers of fabric or other material 904 encapsulated at leastpartially in a flexible-polymeric material 902. In one example, material904 is a woven-fabric, such as a polymeric fabric. In other examples,woven-fabric material 904 is a carbon-fiber fabric. Material 904 may bea single-ply or multi-ply layers. Each layer of material 904 may also bedirectionally braided.

For example, material 904 may constructed of roughly equal quantities ofpolyester and Vectran™ (a liquid crystal polymer or polyester) graded ina two-ply configuration. Polyester is used to deliver high bondingstrength with adhesive, is flexible, and works well in wet environmentswithout structural weakening. However, other suitable materials may beselected in place of polyester, which provide similar attributes aspolyester as would be appreciated by those skilled with the benefit ofhaving this disclosure, such as nylon, and other synthetic ornon-synthetic materials.

As appreciated by those skilled in the art having the benefit of thisdisclosure, more or less layers of material may be used to construct aflexible and resilient plate 660. Additionally, different types ofmaterials may be selected to construct plate 660 including compositematerials.

For instance, plate 660 may include a metallic material, such asaluminum or steel (not shown). Additionally, plate 660 may includeencapsulating materials, such as a polymeric material. Alternatively,plate 660 may not be encapsulated or be constructed of a single unitarymaterial. The system will allow the farrier or veterinarian to choosewhether to use the supplied flexible element or a rigid metal materialto best satisfy the therapeutic needs of the equine patient.

For instance, FIG. 10 shows a side view of another example plate 660constructed of a flexible and resilient unitary. Suitable material mayinclude rubber ABS, polyurethane, or other “plastic” materials withperformance properties suitable for the therapeutic or competitivedemands.

FIG. 11 shows a top view of an example horseshoe 1100 with a plate 660secured therein, before excess material is trimmed off, so that thelength of the plate matches the width of a heel portion 108 of thehorseshoe.

As depicted in FIG. 11, the excess material is located at distal ends1102A, 1102B of plate 660. That is, the length of plate 660 extendsbeyond outer edge 116 of slots 122A, 122B. This excess material may becut away so that distal ends 1102A, 1102B of plate 660 become flush withouter edge 116 of slots 122A, 122B. Typically, the excess material iscut away after plate 660 is installed and secured in place by fasteners,such as screws 690A, 690B.

FIG. 12 shows a top view of an example horseshoe 1200 with a plate 660that is cast into the shoe at the time of manufacture. In this example,because plate 660 is an integral part of body 102, additional fasteningdevices and slots are not required to secure plate 660.

Example horseshoe with Cuff-Attachment System

FIG. 13 shows an example horseshoe 1300 (representing any of theaforementioned example horseshoes such as 100, 300, 400, 600, 1200)indirectly attached to horse's hoof using a fabric cuff 1336.

Cuff 1336 is generally secured (i.e., attached) within a portion of body102. In one example, cuff 1336 is incorporated underneath an upper-mostportion hoof-facing surface 110 (see e.g., FIGS. 1 and 2), and morespecifically rim 117 (see e.g., FIGS. 1 and 2). That is, cuff 1336 ispartly encapsulated within body 102. Additional details of how cuff 1336is encapsulated in body 102 are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,008, toSigafoos et al. as well as U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,861 to Sigafoos, and U.S.Pat. No. 5,638,905 to Sigafoos et al., all incorporated fully herein byreference and will not be discussed further. Typically, cuff 1336extends from outer edge 116 of shoe 1300.

In one example, cuff 1336 is a fabric configured to conform to a wall1338 of a horse's hoof 1340 and attach thereto through the use of anadhesive. Cuff 1336 may include several layers of fabric material. Cuff1336 may be used as a single ply or multi-ply layers. Each layer ofmaterial may be braided.

For example, in one implementation, cuff 1336 is constructed of roughlyequal quantities of polyester and Vectran™ (a liquid crystal polymer ofpolyester) graded in a two-ply configuration. Polyester is used todeliver high bonding strength with adhesive, is flexible, and works wellin wet environments without structural weakening. However, othersuitable materials may be selected in place of polyester, which providesimilar attributes as polyester as would be appreciated by those skilledwith the benefit of having this disclosure, such as nylon, and othersynthetic or non-synthetic materials.

A second potential component of the braid. Vectran™, is used to provideabrasion resistance for cuff 1336. The abrasion resistant material isincorporated to reduce and minimize the wear of the fabric due tocontact with ground materials that a horse's hoof normally encounters,such as dirt, sand, gravel, etc. Other suitable abrasion resistantmaterials could be selected as would be appreciated by those skilled inthe art having the benefit of this disclosure. For example, Dyneema® orSpectra® (high molecular weight polyethylene) or the like material couldalso be used as one of the ply material in place of, or in conjunctionwith, one of the plies. Thus, cuff 1336 may be constructed of strong andresistant material(s) able to undergo severe wear conditions.

Another aspect of cuff 1336 is its ability to contact hoof wall 1338.Horse's hooves are not uniform nor are the ground contact angles uniformfrom hoof to hoof. As a result of this factor, braided fabric may beused to shoe 1300 to a horse's hoof, because braided fabric is able tobe contoured and shaped so that no wrinkles or folds occur when tightlybonding the cuff to the hoof wall.

In one implementation this feature is achieved through the use of a typeof braid used where the fibers are aligned at angles other than thetypical 90° found in many woven fabrics. For instance, an angle ofapproximately between 30° and 50° has the added benefit of positioningthe fibers on the hoof in a way that utilizes all of the fibers inholding a shoe onto the hoof, and supporting the hoof wall radially aswith hoop stress.

Other angles greater than 50° or less than 30° could be selected aswell, but the least wrinkle free results were observed generally between30° and 50°.

Thus, cuff 1336 reinforces a hoof wall 1338 and provides many benefitsto a horse. For example, when implemented as fabric, cuff 1336 bridgesand stabilizes cracks in the hoof wall. It may also cover and rebuild abroken section of the hoof, support a thin, weak or shelly hoof walland, also help to uniformly distribute load on the entire hoof wall.Additionally, using multiple layers of adhesive saturated fabric acts asa durable cover protecting the hoof from damage due to work in an onvarious surfaces the animal lives, works, and performs upon.

Typically, most adhesives such as methacrylate or other acrylic adhesivemay be used for attaching cuff 1336 to a horse's hoof. Please see U.S.Pat. No. 5,330,008, for a more detailed process of attaching cuff 1336to a horse's hoof. As depicted in FIG. 13, example plate 660 iselliptical in shape, but as described above may be other shapes orconfigurations including the planar-rectangular examples described andillustrated above.

Body 102 of the example horseshoes describe above, may also includeholes (not shown) for receiving nails, in the event there is a desire tofully or partially nail the elastomeric shoe to a horse's hoof. Such ashoe may offer the farrier the choice of selecting an all in one shoe(i.e, a glue-on or nail-on shoe).

Wear and Radiopaque Qualities

FIG. 14 shows a cross-sectional view of a toe portion 104 of anotherelastomer horseshoe 1400. In the example horseshoe depicted in FIG. 14,there is no concave-relief section. Instead, hoof-facing surface 110 isgenerally planar. Like. FIG. 1B, horseshoe 1400 may include one or morenail creases 170 located along a portion of ground surface 150.

The body of a horseshoe may also include a wear material. For instance,wear material may be encapsulated in a horseshoe, and stratified towardground-facing surface 150. Wear material may also be encapsulated evenlythroughout a body of an elastomeric horseshoe. That is, in anotheraspect, the wear material may be dispersed uniformly throughout theentire horseshoe.

In addition, when a horseshoe is new and unworn, the ground-facingsurfacing may initially include a thin layer of elastomeric materialthat does not include a wear-layer material. The thin layer of materialmay quickly rub off after the shoes are in use by a horse, therebyrevealing the wear-layer material as part of the ground-facing surface.

In the example illustration of FIG. 14, wear-layer material 1424 isstratified toward ground-facing surfacing 150 of horseshoe 1400.Wear-layer material 1424 may include one or more suitable materials usedto increase friction and/or durability of the bottom surface of anyelastomeric shoe, such as the horseshoes illustrated in this disclosure.Example wear material may include titanium, carborundum, aluminum oxide,other suitable hard-wearing-particulate materials, or any combination ofthe foregoing.

Wear materials also act to improve the effective coefficient of surfacefriction of the primary elastomeric materials used in a horseshoe. Wearmaterial 1424 is especially useful in grass or wet conditions. The useof a wear material 1424 that includes abrasive grit for grip and wear isin addition to any of a wide variety of ground surface patterns that canbe used on a metal or “plastic” non-metallic horseshoe. Starting with asmooth bottom and proceeding thru the almost infinite variety ofpatterns that have been demonstrated by many generations of farriers andblacksmiths in an effort to improve traction on both metal andnon-metallic horseshoes.

The typical “crease” or “fullering” on the ground surface of the shoe isgenerally understood to be where the nails are located and seated, isalso important to traction as it tends to fill with stones and dirtwhile in use. These grit materials will complement traction when usedwith elastomeric shoes with a “crease”.

The amount of wear material added to a shoe may range from percentagesas low as 0.5% by weight of the entire shoe, and as high as 40% byweight. Although, as appreciated by those skilled in the art afterhaving the benefit of this disclosure, a suitable percentage of wearmaterial is typically a function of the specific abrasive material used,and the required performance properties of urethane or other materialscomprising a horseshoe. That is, the suitable percentage is generallybased on the physical characteristics of the specific elastomeric shoe,and abrasive materials used to make the horseshoe. For instance, toomuch abrasive material can degrade physical properties of a urethaneshoe to the point where it affects the functional performance of thehorseshoe.

Also, many elastomeric materials are transparent (i.e., radiolucent) toX-rays with X-rays commonly being used as a diagnostic tool employed byveterinarians in assessing hoof and leg problems. This elastomerictranslucency to X-rays CaO be problematic, because the elastomericmaterials may prevent the veterinarian from identifying the bottom-mostportion of the hoof when the hoof is shod with an elastomeric shoe.Consequently, it is often necessary for the veterinarian to remove anotherwise satisfactory shoe.

Accordingly, in one example, one or more radiopaque materials may beadded to the elastomeric horseshoe so that a veterinarian or radiologistis able to easily identify the margin where the hoof-shoe interface(i.e., hoof-facing surface 110) is located, without removing the shoes.That is, a radiopaque material may be stratified within, encapsulated inor over a horseshoe, sprayed-on, or layered-on a horseshoe.

For instance, in the example horseshoe 1400 depicted in FIG. 14,radiopaque material 1426 is stratified toward hoof-facing surface 110.The thickness of the radiopaque material 1426 may vary, but a suitablethickness is one that allows a radiologist or veterinarian to discern(i.e., see) the demarcation line between the hoof and shoe. Forinstance, in one example a thickness of a ¼ of ⅛^(th) of an inch may besufficient.

In another example, each horseshoe may be dipped in a liquid containingthe radiopaque material 1426. This is sometimes referred to as dipmolding.

Still, in another example, radiopaque material 1426 may be mixed anddispersed uniformly throughout portions or all of the body of ahorseshoe. In addition, radiopaque material 1426 may be intermixed withwear material 1424 and dispersed throughout most, if not all the body ofa horseshoe such as illustrated in FIG. 15.

Further the same materials may be used for the radiopaque material 1426and wear material(s) 1424. That is, it is possible to use one materialto act as both a radiopaque material 1426 and wear material 1424. So, insome examples, the radio-opaque material can be combined with the wearmaterial and/or can replace the need for a separate wear material.

As to the specific radiopaque materials, there are a variety ofdifferent types that may be used. For instance, in one example, a bariumpowder may be mixed into the elastomeric material. In another example,barium sulfate (BaSO₄) may be used. Other suitable materials mayinclude. Bismuth, tungsten, or other metal powders mixed into theplastic shoe. With elastomers it is also possible to blend any of theseradiopaque materials, as should be appreciated by those skilled in theart after having the benefit of this disclosure.

Further, these wear and radiopaque materials may be used in anyelastomeric horseshoe, and are not limited to the example shoes andconfigurations described in this application. For instance, the wear andradiopaque materials may be used with elastomeric shoes that do notinclude braces and plates, etc.

In one aspect, the process for adding an abrasive-grit material (i.e.,wear material) to urethane horseshoes may include the following steps:

1. Heat a pre-polymer to prepare for the process and vacuum degas thebatch.

2. Mix appropriate weight of abrasive grit into a pre-measured quantityof pre-polymer . . . this will be added at the appropriate time to thefinal batch to be used in molding

3. Vacuum degas the mixed batch with the grit

4. Add cross-linker to the urethane pre-polymer batch (no grit). Thecross linker is an adequate quantity for the total weight of the finalbatch (including the grit portion).

5. Grit containing batch is added to the final total mix at a specifictime during but before completion of the cross-linker addition.

a. In one aspect, a grit addition is a controlled weight ratio ofapproximately 2-to-18% of the total batch weight based on the specificproduct performance requirements of the shoe. Of course, as appreciatedby those skilled in the art, the ratio ranges may be greater or lessthan 2-18%.

6. The grit/pre-polymer, cross-linked mixture is added to the pre-heatedmold via a specialized mixing/pouring container which decants themixture from the bottom of container.

7. By adjusting process reaction speed with catalysts and controllingthe temperature profile, the grit settling rate toward the bottom of themold can be regulated. By adjusting the reaction and temperatureprofiles, the grit can be uniformly distributed or stratified atpredictable, modifiable levels within the horseshoe.

With respect to radio-opacity in an elastomeric horseshoe, themanufacturing process may be essentially the same as with the wearmaterial mentioned above, but a radio-opaque material (e.g. BariumSulfate) is used instead of or in addition to abrasive grit (i.e., wearmaterial). The addition of the radio-opaque material is at a mix ratio(by weight) of approximately between 0.5% and 5% in order to achieveadequate visual separation between the horseshoe, and the hoof in theX-ray image. Of course, as appreciated by those skilled in the art,greater or lesser percentages of weight may be used depending on thematerial composition among other potential factors. Unlike the abrasivegrit application the Barium Sulfate is a lighter, powder-like materialand the dispersion of this additive in the urethane will tend to beuniform.

Conclusion

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to theembodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodimentswithin the scope of the subjoined Claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A horseshoe: comprising an elastomeric bodyhaving a ground-facing surface and a generally parallel hoof-facingsurface opposite the ground-facing surface, wherein the body furtherincludes a wear material between the ground-facing surface and thehoof-facing surface, wherein the wear material is stratified in higherconcentration toward the ground-facing surface, and in lessconcentration toward the hoof-facing surface.
 2. The horseshoe of claim1, wherein the wear material forms, at least partially, the groundfacing.
 3. The horseshoe of claim 1, further comprising: a radiopaquematerial sandwiched between the hoof-facing surface and theground-facing surface, wherein the radiopaque material includes at leastone of barium, barium sulfate (BaSO4), Bismuth, tungsten, and a blend ofmetal powder and plastic.
 4. The horseshoe of claim 3, wherein theradiopaque material forms, at least partially, the hoof-contactingsurface of the shoe.
 5. The horseshoe of claim 1, wherein the wearmaterial is encapsulated within the body of the horseshoe.
 6. Thehorseshoe of claim 3, wherein the radiopaque material, is encapsulatedwithin the body of the horseshoe.
 7. The horseshoe of claim 1, whereinthe wear material is at least one of aluminum oxide, barium sulfate,titanium, and carborundum.
 8. The horseshoe of claim 3, wherein theradiopaque material is stratified in higher concentration toward thehoof-facing surface, and in less concentration approaching theground-facing surface.
 9. The horseshoe of claim 3, wherein bodyincludes a mixture of the radiopaque material and the wear material.